Geography (GEOG)

GEOG 401 - World Regions: Europe and the Americas

Credits: 4

Examines the rich diversity of human life in the following world regions: North America; Middle and South America; Europe; Russia and the post- Soviet states; and Oceania. We will examine the geography of these regions focusing on the following thematic concepts: Environment; Globalization and development; power and politics; urbanization; and population patterns. This course also serves as an introduction to geography.

Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)

Equivalent(s): GEOG 401H

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 402 - World Regions: Asia and Africa

Credits: 4

Examines the unique integration of human and physical phenomena that produces the distinctive character of the following world regions: the Middle East an North Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; South Asia; Southeast and East Asia. The course also serves as an introduction to the discipline of geography, with its unique spatial perspective.

Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)

Equivalent(s): GEOG 402H

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 405 - There Is No Planet B

Credits: 4

Introduces human-environment relations as a central focus of geography, spanning social and environmental sciences. Considers mapping, natural resource use, commons and markets, hazards, political ecology, and land use change. Case studies link core concepts with examples from local to international scales.

Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 473 - Elements of Weather

Credits: 4

Basic principles of weather phenomena and the physical processes underlying these phenomena. Emphasis on weather patterns of New England. Lab.

Attributes: Discovery Lab Course; Physical Science(Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 500 - Making Change: Social and Environmental Justice in Practice

Credits: 4

Provides students with opportunities to consider a personal philosophy and professional action plan for social and/or environmental justice, bridging understandings of social equity and environmental conservation. Spanning theoretical and practical perspectives, students will learn basic community organizing and grantwriting skills that are useful in a range of careers, particularly in the non-profit and government sectors.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 530 - China: People, Politics and Economy

Credits: 4

This course examines China's diverse physical environments, politics, economies, and cultures across he vast territory. Students learn to adopt a relational and spatial perspective to study the contemporary issues in China.

Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)

Equivalent(s): GEOG 530W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG #540 - Geography of the Middle East

Credits: 4

Environmental, cultural, political-geographic, and ecological foundations of the Middle East. Selected regional problems and issues, e.g., geographical dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, oil, urbanization, population growth, and nomadism.

Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 550 - Sub-Saharan Africa: Environmental Politics and Development

Credits: 4

Explores the political ecologies of development in sub-Saharan Africa. Provides a historical and spatial perspective on sub-Saharan Africa's environments and the politics that influence the region's conservation and development choices. Students will critique conventional knowledge, ideas, and explanations to develop a deeper understanding of environment-development linkages in sub-Saharan Africa over time.

Attributes: World Cultures(Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 560 - Natural Hazards and Human Disasters

Credits: 4

A survey of natural hazards, including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami, floods drought, hurricanes and severe weather, and the human disasters they cause. The geography of community vulnerability to natural hazards and the factors that influence risk and recovery are also examined.

Attributes: Environment,TechSociety(Disc)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG #565 - Designing Sustainable Places

Credits: 4

Introduces sustainable design of the built environment, including small towns, cities, suburbs, and rural areas. From neighborhood to regional scales, thoughtful place-making can link economic growth, justice, and environmental sustainability. Readings, discussions, writings, and hands-on field visits and design activities integrate human, environmental, and aesthetic perspectives to consider key challenges and identify a range of practical solutions.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 572 - Geography of the Natural Environment

Credits: 4

Provides an introduction to geography of the natural environment, including landforms, weather and climate, water resources, and biogeography. Examines the processes that shape the different elements of the environment and the relationships between them.

Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

Special Fee: Yes

GEOG 574 - Global Landscapes and Environmental Processes

Credits: 4

A survey of earth's major landforms and the geographic factors that influence their development, distribution, and morphology. Topics include mountain building, river systems, desert migration and expansion, glacial and periglacial environments, and shoreline evolution. Discusses interactions with human activities and climate change. Emphasizes how these processes interact to form surface features that are unique to their geographic environment.

Attributes: Physical Science(Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 580 - Human Geography: People and Places

Credits: 4

Why do people live, work, and play differently in different places? How are our realities shaped by local to global influences, both social and environmental? What does this mean in terms of "place" and lived landscapes? This course provides an overview of human geography as a social science, including the "why of where" and human-environment relationships. Topics may include urban, rural, and suburban development, globalization and governance, borders and migration, conservation and development, and different understandings of knowledge, economy, technology, race, gender, and class.

Attributes: Social Science (Discovery)

Equivalent(s): GEOG 581O

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

View Course Learning Outcomes

GEOG 581 - Society, Environment and Justice

Credits: 4

Introduces human geography with an emphasis on social justice and environmental justice, integrating social and cultural aspects of space, place, and human-environment relations. Discusses urban, suburban, and rural examples in the US and internationally to illustrate basic geographic concepts.

Attributes: Social Science (Discovery); Inquiry (Discovery)

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 582 - Global Trade and Local Development

Credits: 4

This course examines the ways in which global trade interacts with local development across the world. It studies the special organization of economic activities through basic approaches in economic geography. It also studies the history and contemporary state of international competition and collaboration.

Attributes: Social Science (Discovery)

Equivalent(s): GEOG 582W

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG #584 - Political Geography

Credits: 4

Interactions between geographic and political phenomena at the sub-national, national, and international levels. Emphasis on geographical aspects of current political problems within and between states. (Not offered every year.)

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG #590 - Field Research

Credits: 4

Explores a range of research methods, emphasizing collection and analysis of field data to understand human-environment dynamics and/or spatial relations. Topics include ethics, sample design, surveys, interviews, participant observation, and qualitative and quantitative analyses. Students complete hands-on research activities.

Equivalent(s): GEOG 650

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 591 - Making Maps: GIS Fundamentals

Credits: 4

Introduces Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to design digital maps, integrate diverse data sources, and conduct basic spatial analyses. Appropriate for students with or without computer technology background. Skills are highly employable in many careers where spatial data can be used, including social justice, public health, sustainability, town and urban planning, economic development, public safety, energy, transportation, construction, environmental hazards, political strategy, security and diplomacy, military intelligence, marketing, education, communications, real estate, and public humanities.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 670 - Climate and Society

Credits: 4

An introduction to climate science and the interaction between humans and climate. Examines the processes that control climate, the mechanisms that drive climate change, and the impact of climate change on society.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): GEOG 570

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 673 - Political Ecology

Credits: 4

Examines human-environment relations through the geographic subfield of political ecology, integrating social and biophysical sciences. Emphasizes cross-scalar relationships in resource decisions and community development, with substantial coverage of rural, non-US contexts. Seminar-style course with regular readings, writings and discussion.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Equivalent(s): GEOG 573

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 695 - Internship

Credits: 1-4

Internships provide an opportunity for on-the-job skill development and practical experience in a closely supervised work setting. The student must provide a written proposal to a supervising faculty member before an internship program is approved. At the end of the semester, the student must make a presentation, provide work samples, or submit a detailed report, log, or portfolio describing the internship experience.

Repeat Rule: May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credits.

Grade Mode: Credit/Fail Grading

GEOG 701 - Environmental Justice

Credits: 4

This is a seminar-style discussion course in Environmental Justice. It supports students as they develop facility in linking theory, case material, and personal scholarly-professional goals. Readings and writings cover a breadth of topics including origins and theory of environmental justice as social movement and field of scholarship; environmental toxins, hazards, and public health; race and indigeneity; climate change mitigation and adaptation; knowledge systems; urban planning, housing and transportation; water resources; food systems; conservation and recreation; participatory research; and cross-scalar analyses. The course assumes familiarity with basic social science perspectives on race, difference, and equity, and general awareness of environmental issues.

Grade Mode: Letter Grading

GEOG 795 - Special Project

Credits: 2 or 4

Readings, library, archival, and fieldwork. Primarily for geography seniors.

Attributes: Writing Intensive Course

Grade Mode: Letter Grading